Conveyer for annealing furnaces



Jan. 13, 1931. E. E. GRlFFrrHs coNvEYER FOR4 ANNEALING FURNAcEs Filed Aug. 23, 1928 2 Sheets-$11901.A 1

Jan. 13, 1931. E. E. GRIFFln-ls CONVEYER FOR ANNEALING FURNACES Filed Aug. 2.3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 13, 1931 sr rasf -EDWIN-eninn'rns, 0F MnntBLEsWALEs y Y 'f1 j CQNVEYER "non Y ANNEAAIJNG FUBNAcES Applica/cin meaaugust 23,1928, serial Nqfeoreaagfanain ereat'nritain August 30,1927.

iff This invention. relates .toconveyers, ,and iss :specially:` applicable to zconveyersA employedg beingfremoy'ed. f 111 Aannealing. andthe like furnaces, Ymore par-V l ticularly 'in `Athose z cases.- :Where enamelled forl g-eoatedrmetalsheets lrave to be passedthroughy v afurnace. Y

' zrbent into-theforni of an inverteditrough ,i and i *the main conveyer is-'provi'dedwithngers 01" clips lWhich-iengage' theY edges of the; plate'and@ 'maintaingit `in correcta-position Whilepassing., 20^thro`ugh the furnace ;onleavingthefurnacaf 'f thefplates Whicl'iv haveY been cooled suiciently Yto ensure-the fixing ofthe-enamel rorithelilre,A

f' vrequirel to beliftedclearbfthe n'gers or-.clips nel shape, and located? ontheconveyer yas described,'areaccording to leXistingpractice SOftransferred jfronr the conveyer,by means of a.v

^ pair "of laterally' disposed Itransfer-A conveyers 'transfer ligera It'is found that such trans- V tion is to overcorne these-diiculties'by the provision Vof simple,*robust'landleffectivel L transfer devices, 4and-the inventlongwhilst...

j-sgfieciallyl applicable .to the conveyers' of? fur# naces of the typev described, i'svapplie'able to: y

f 'carriedfby .falternateflinlg-s the pitch of thevv Hfc'onveyers generall Y hereby my f invention as applied toa transferring device annealing furnacev 'fparny inwegnemen-seais@Catherines, 1

.Fig; 3V is 'a detaili view.

of eXampleilIuStratedmy l for transferring plates fror'n the main conveyen'toV the V4straiglitening rollers of :an1

lof `Fg.;2, .the-,near vhalf of the transfer Wheel jyfzlig;` 2isaview irl-transverse section onthe -LlineILvI-Iof'Fig..1. f v i l A'isjthe furnace expansion tube, Bfa con-'f tinuationsectionof the furnaceintermediate between the expansionytube andthe casingV C carryingthe flattening gear which comprises -a series of* rollers c1, 02.1,` E arethe-,plates teo .beA treated, and these are :carried through the :furnace bya .chainconveyer D, centrally locatedzfasfshownin. Fig. .3,i whichconveyer passes roundfand is: drivenby a sprocket wheel y Y `l?, .the-teeth flof Whichengagegthe central? G5 g transverseniembers ofzgthe chain. @Alternate e l" 1-inks oeflthe chainfcarry cross-bars `orarlns Z1v and Vatthe end .of'fea'ch crossvbaryis i a1 project- Aing finger dll-andthe plates E t0 -bexleated are by a` mechanism locatedatv4 thev front endl' ofgthe4 furnace, Jand` not :.shownherein, bent as shown in Fig.:l fsolthatthey assume an in- Y yertedtroughshapefand sotthaty theirllower y 'on' the mai-n conveyer, and to bepositiyelyff;

25 fed forwardly in succession to the-flattening, 3 *rolls through whichv they *pass to be straightf ene'doutlA The-'plates bentfto trough or chang;

edges rest onthecrossfbarsdl and'gare re tainedfin position: 4laterally by =ontw andyela'stife engagfernentgwithA the .fingers d2 the crossbars may: alsol 'carryl inclinedifingers :d3 which' are used ffto support.` .thejrplates E :when the latter are exceptionally thin.-

Invthe example" illustrated the'transferlr 30 forming annulus which may .be-.inca single part or" bei made up ofl connected segments. `Ea'clifhalfhas outer flange land an inner-flange t2 thelatterflanges being'fbolted .by 85 the@ fbolts 3 5 to recessed annular; facings formed on" the sprocket?. .Wheel F between the rim f2 andteeth f1.2 .Eachfhalfiofthe transferkwheel 4has .a series softransferteeth 154, the pitch of-Which'- isi` a s multiple of the pitch of"l thevteeth fliof'thesproclet Wheel F. inthe example illustrated, asthe cross-bars d1 are llteeth'tZf-isztwicef thatof `the pitch of, the ,teeth f1.1: Thefprole oftheteeth tlandfthe disl tance .ofth'eptips from the A@entre 7ofgrotaion Lis such'that as, they rotate Vtl 'e 'y rise through thelgsp'aces'between;thercrossbars dlfwithout 'fc'ontact W-ith these cross=barsgasshownin side Y eleyatidns.Figa-Lande,andfinend-eleyationi100 by the chain-dotted lines F. 3. The teeth t4 are of sufficient width transversely to ensure certainty of engagement with the longitudinal lower edges cl of the plates E, and the tips of the teeth may be notched as shown at f5 Fig. 2. The outer edges of the notches engage with the respective edges el of the plates E so that as the said edges become disengaged from the fingers d2 they are engaged by the notches t5 thus preventing any delformation of the edges of thin plates.

The action of the teetht4 by engagement in this manner with the edgescl of the plates is to disengage the successive plates from the conveyor, raising the nose of the plate so that itpasses over the guide rollerl o8 and is diy rected on to the under set of straightening rollers cl and below the upper set of straightening rollerscfZ. The sprocket wheel spindle ,f3 is carred in water-cooled bearings f4 which in turn arecarriedfrom the casing B.

As the teeth te are rigidly fixed to the teeth fl absolute synchronism between the Vteeth t4 and the cross-barsof the conveyer is ensured. so .that no fouling between these parts can take place, and as the construction of the transferwheels T and T2 may be made of a robust character' thev device: illustrated possesses considerable advantage over y theknown arrangements used in furnaces of this type, in which the transfer is effected by laterally disposed chain conveyers having laterally ext-ending fingers to engage the edges of the plate.` The temperature inthe intermediate casing B is relatively high and as such transverse conveyers are comparal tively short the said fingers and links of the chain are not subject to any cooling intervals to ensure their maintenance within regulable temperatures as isjthe case with the iingers of the main conveyer. They are therefore very liable to be damaged by high temperature and to become deformed, in which case they foul the main conveyer and often cause damage sufficient to put the furnace out of operation; it is also impossible to lubricate this transfer conveyer satisfactorily- A further advantage results from the fact i that by dispensing with the lateral transferring conveyers the troubles which result with the bearings of these conveyers by reason of the dilliculty of maintaining them at suitably low temperatures is removed.

In the arrangement illustrated the transfer wheels T and T2 are directly connected to andV driven by the sprocket wheel F;

where, however, the transfer is required to take place at a point other than at the end of the conveyer the transfer Wheels may be fitted at such points and be independent of the sprocket wheel, synchronous movement being ensured by fittin'gthe transfer wheels with their own sprockets which engage the conveyer, or by gearing the transfer wheels to a conveyer-driving sprocket wheel.V

Aspindle of the sprocket wheel, the latter passing through the said bearing.

Transfer wheels maybe employed in similar manner to effect the transfer of the plates between otherparts of the annealing furnace or to transfer them from conveyers by which the plates are led from the annealing furnace to stores or the like.

Whilst the invention has been described as applied for the purpose of transferring metal plates inan annealing furnace, for which purpose it is specially applicable, it is to be un-l derstood that the invention. is generally applicable for transferring or discharging articles from conveyers having cross-bars by which the articles are carried, and particularly when the said articles are of a fragile character and are located on the said bars by retaining lingers or the like; the Adetails of construction would therefore be modiiied accordingly;-for example, where the conveyer consists of two chains with cross-bars between them the transfer wheels would be arranged between the two sprocket wheels instead of being arranged on each side of the central sprocket wheel as in the modification illustrated.

vHaving now fully described my invention, lf declare that what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a furnace for treating metal sheets whilst they are passed through 'when bent to inverted trough-shaped cross-section, in combination; a chain conveyer traversing the furnace; cross-bars carried by the links of the chain conveyer, adapted to support the edges of the bent sheets; fingers at the ends of the said cross-bars against which the said edges bear laterally; a toothed transfer means Vrotatably mounted and driven synchronously with the conveyer cross-bars, the teeth of the transfer means entering the spaces between, the cross-bars, engaging the edges of the successive sheetsand moving the said edges radially outwardly clear of the said fingers; and receiving means on to which the said teeth deliver the sheets; substantially as described.Y

2.*In a furnace for treating metal sheets whilst they are passed through when bent to inverted trough-shaped cross-section, in combination a ch ain conveyer traversing the furnace; cross-bars carried by the links of the said teeth deliver v ing the respective edges of the v notches in the tops of the teeth of 'each part, the notched teeth of said respective parts en-` gaging the respective edges ofthe y bent,

chain conveyer, 'adapted to support the'edges of the bent sheets; fingers at the ends of the `said cross-bars againstewhich the'said edges bearlaterally; a sprocket wheel gearing with the conveyer chain, a toothedtransfer wheel connected to the sprocket wheel, the teeth of the ltransfer wheel entering the spaces between the cross-bars, engaging the edges of 4. An apparatus as `claimed in claim i whichthe links of the chainv conveyer are delivered by the transfer wheel substantially as described.

9. Apparatus Aas'claimed inV claim 2 Vin which the links ofthe chain conveyer are attached tothe cross-bars atpoints intermedi- Vate the lends of the cross-bars, and in which the sprocket Vwheel is centrally located; a facing on each side of the sprocket Wheel, and

a transfer wheel comprisingV two toothed parts having fac-ings 'adapted to be bolted to the respective facing on the sprocket wheel; substantially as described.

1 testimony whereof I have hereto set 1an EVELYN GRIFFITHS.

attached to the cross-bars 'at pointsinter- I mediate the ends of the cross-bars,fandin which the Vsprocket wheel is centrally located, c

theftransfer wheel `comprisingtwo toothed parts connectedv to the sprocketV wheel. on

oppositesides thereof; substantially Vas described.

5. Ina furnace for treating metalsheets i whilst they are passed through when bent to'inverted trough-shaped cross-section', in

combination.; a chain conveyer traversing the furnace; cross-bars carried. by the links of the chain conveyer, adapted to support the edges ofthe bent sheets; ngers at the ends of the said cross-bars against which the said edges bear laterally; a toothed transfer Wheel rotatably mounted and driven synchronously with the conveyer crossbars, theteeth ofthe t transfer Wheel entering the spaces ,between s the cross-bars; notches 1n the tops of the said t' teeth with which ther edges of the bentv sheet engage and by which the said edges, as they alos are moved radially outwardly .by the said teeth, are prevented from spreading-latenally; substantially as described.

6. An apparatus as claimed incla'im 5, the

transfer Wheel comprising two'toothed parts;

plates; substantially as described.

7. An apparatus as Vclaimed in'claimV 5, in'Vv which the links of the chain eonveyer are attached to the cross-bars atpoints intermedi'- ate the ends of the crossfibars and in which the sprocketwheel is centrally located, the transfer wheel comprising. two .toothedV and notched parts connected to the sprocket wheel Vi von'opposite'sides thereof; substantially as e0 v Y described. Y

A8., The combination l of Vapparatus as i claimed in claim 2, with a coolingchamber; i `a chamber in which theapparatus is enclosedY V which is located hetweenthe furnace and Athe [cooling chamber; and Vrollers `fitted in theV cooling chamber on to whichthe sheets are Y f i Y 

